Why Worry?
by Chick Feed
Summary: When John's on-going enforcement drummed into Dean the need to look out for Sam, to always keep him safe above all else, whatever the cost; he was simply building on something that already flickered within his eldest. Dean had worried about and watched out for Sam since before his baby brother was even born. - A Weechester ficlet.


**Disclaimer : **Ahhh, if only!

**WHY WORRY?**

_When John's on-going enforcement drummed into Dean the need to look out  
__for Sam, to always keep him safe above all else, whatever the cost; he was  
__simply building on something that already flickered within his eldest. Dean had  
__worried about and watched out for Sam since before his baby brother was even born.  
_A weechester ficlet.  
-oOo-

Dean trotted alongside his dad, holding onto John Winchester's big strong, safe hand tightly. The normally chatty little boy had become unusually quiet since entering the hospital building. Wide green eyes gazed fearfully around and the youngster unconsciously stuck his thumb in his mouth.  
"Dean? You think you can stop suckin' that thumb? You're a big boy now son. You don't wanna let your new little brother see you actin' like _you're_ the baby, he might think you've took his job! C'mon superstar, nearly there!"  
Quickly taking his thumb out of his mouth, Dean wiped it dry down the front of his tee.

_He ain't no baby, _uh uh_, he was a big brother now. His daddy telled him so when he said the baby was bored...Um...Born. He was happy it had gotten to the right place at last. Felt like they'd waited _forever _for it an' all the waitin' had made his mommy's tummy get fatter an' fatter. He'd figured if they had to wait a lot longer, his mommy might get fat enough to go _**pop**!_ That had made him __feel __worried! He'd been real worried as well about what if the baby had gotten lost tryin' to get to them an' gone to the wrong house an' then the people there kept it? But mommy pinky promised him it wouldn't do that, an' she'd been right! Daddy telled him the new baby had come an' was like him, a little boy. He said him an' mommy was callin' the new boy Sam. _

The new's that his parents had given the baby his name came as a surprise to Dean. In his head he had some time ago decided that all babies were given their names by the angels in Heaven, bringing it with them to tell their new parents once they arrived.

_How come this baby didn' have a name already? __What if his new little brother weren't bringin' a name wiv him already 'cos all them angels had gone an' forgotten 'bout him? That'd pro'bly be a bad thing, a baby bein' forgot, wouldn't it? _

Young Dean quietly catalogued this further worry that now flared on behalf of his brand new brother. Keeping this additional concern to himself, Dean's focus was swiftly diverted onto the fun of being on the receiving end of John's happiness and delight at the birth of his second son. He never wanting to stop laughing at his dad's joyful clowning about. Swinging Dean up into his arms, John grinned at his eldest and strode confidently onto the post natal ward, pausing at the nurses station.\  
"Hey Rachel. This' good looking young man right here is my eldest, Dean. He's meetin' his baby brother for the first time, that right pal?"  
Dean nodded and smiled shyly at the matronly middle-aged nurse. Smiling back, she gave Dean a friendly wink.  
"Nice to meet you Dean. Your dad's been telling me all about how great you are. Sounds to me like baby Sam's got real lucky already, 'cos he's got _you_ for his big brother."  
Dean's cheeks reddened and he hid his face in John's broad shoulder.  
"Awww, look at that now. Cute as a button...Just like his pa."  
John feigned shock and outrage.  
"Stand down woman! I'm a father of two an' very happily married to the beautiful mother of my wonderful sons."  
Rachel sighed dramatically  
"Ah well, no hope for me again. Away with you then, go annoy Mary, I've got work to do...Bye bye Dean, your brother's all ready an' waiting for you."

Pausing outside the closed door which led into a double room, John stood Dean back on the floor. Straightening up he smiled at his expectant son.  
"Tennnnn_Shun!"  
_Dean promptly stomped his feet together and proudly stuck his chest out. John gazed down at him and looked Dean over critically, before giving a satisfied nod and a grin.  
"Yup. Looking good there Deano, a real cool dude. Right then my boy, at ease. Here we go kiddo"

Hyper excited about seeing his mom again, Dean eagerly trotted into the room, and ground to a sudden halt, his eyes fixed on Mary who sat on top of her bed in a nightgown and robe. She beamed at the sight of him while holding a finger to her lips, signalling for quiet. She needn't have bothered. Dean was staring at her dumbstruck. He already held the certain view that his mom was way prettier than any of his friends' moms but, as he gazed in wide-eyed wonder at her, it seemed to him that she had somehow managed to look prettier than ever! Her face was bare of makeup, her long blonde hair was soft and tousled against her pillows and it shone with streaks of gold where it was touched by the sunlight filtering into the room. Mary Winchester positively glowed. Happy contentment shone out of her, and turned her into every one of the beautiful princess' in Dean's bedtime stories.

Mary's hushed voice managed to cut through Deans trance.  
"Dean sweetie? Come say hi to your new brother."  
That's when Dean finally noticed the small bundle his mom held cradled comfortably in one arm. Curiosity propelled him forward and John lifted him onto the bed, depositing the little boy by his mom's side to be greeted, as always, with a kiss to his forehead and a loving 'Hello my beautiful boy.'  
At first there wasn't much for Dean to see, not until his mom gently pushed the soft, pale blue blanket back from the sleeping baby's face. Dean eagerly scanned the face of the new born, and his eyebrows promptly scrunched together in a concerned frown. His scrutiny of the recent arrival grew more critical and his silence grew longer while he took in every detail of the Sam baby's face. John and Mary shared an anxious glance over Dean's head and John put a hand gently onto Dean's shoulder.

"Hey champ?...He pass inspection yet?"  
Looking concerned, Dean shook his head no and turned green eyes full of doubt to his dad, answering him in a whisper.  
"It...He...I think maybe the mail-man brunged us the wrong baby?"  
Mary clamped her hand over her mouth to hide her grin, while John scrutinised his new born son seriously and with great care before turning back to his eldest.|  
"Really? The wrong baby? Well, that would definitely be a worry. How about you tell mom an' me why you think he might be the wrong baby?"\  
Dean frowned again.

_How come mommy an' daddy don' know it? We was s'posed to get a __**new **__baby. This one don' look much like it's new; no sir. Dean knew what new looked like, he'd had loads'a new stuff brung for him by mommy an' daddy, 'specially on a birfday an' on Kissmas! _

Dean sighed. It was the sigh that every small child gives when they realise that they find have to point out the glaringly obvious to an adult.  
"_Cos look,_ this one's real dirty...New stuff don' never come dirty, new stuff always comes nice an' clean..._See_?"  
Fighting to restrain his laughter, John looked to Mary, his eyes carrying the unspoken plea of _'Don't just sit there grinning woman; help me out here!' _Her own eye's still twinkling with amusement, Mary duly came to John's rescue. Wetting a finger, she gently brushed off a dry flaky patch from Sam's cheek.~  
"It's ok darling. Watch. All this' just bits of the stuff he was packed in to keep him safe and warm. I _promise_ you Dean honey. This' definitely who we've all been waiting for. This' Sam, your very own baby brother...See? He's opened his eyes to get a good look at you."

Reassured, Dean moved closer. The siblings locked eyes and held one another's gaze. Reaching out tentatively, Dean traced the tip of his finger slowly down his brother's soft cheek then cupped it in the palm of his hand. Sam wriggled in response to the gentle touch and his blanket slipped back further off his little head, fully exposing his baby baldness. Dean's mouth formed an 'O' of surprise that quickly morphed into a tight lipped, straight line of deep annoyance.

_Dumb, dumb angels! They went an' forgotten to give him his name 'fore sendin' him to me; an' then they never even 'membered to fix his hair on for him! _

As the birth of their second child had grown ever more imminent, John had found himself increasingly fretful about how Dean might respond to the reality of having a sibling and to having to suddenly share his parent's time and attention with the new addition. His anxiety flooded to the surface again now at the sight of the obvious displeasure showing in his eldest's expression.  
"Hey tough guy? Somethin' still botherin' you there?"  
The answer caught both John and Mary by surprise. Dean took a deep breath,|  
"S'them dumb angels! Somebody need to tell God all 'bout them so's He knows He 'as to tell 'em off for bein' naughty an' forgettin' stuff like my Sammy's hair an' then He can tell 'em how they're rubbish an' maybe go get some new not rubbish angels instead."

With the reason behind Dean's indignation made clear to them, both parents were quick to reassure their first born. Dean listened in stern faced silence to their combined explanation that lots of brand new babies had no hair at first. When Dean demanded, they even cross-their-hearts promised that Sam's hair would soon start to grow. But, while Dean loved and trusted both his mom and dad unconditionally; in _his_ world things were very different now. He was a big brother. It was his job to look out for baby Sam. And so his parent's words and promises didn't quite manage to convince him deep down that it was ok to pull the plug on his newest worry and concern for Sammy's well-being. Dean decided he was going to keep a close eye on his brother's head, until he saw for himself some sign that Sammy's hair really _was_ beginning to grow.

-ooo-

These, then, were some of a little boy's big apprehensions felt on behalf of his new baby brother; anxieties that were the first tender shoots of a response pattern that was destined to take root, strengthen and to grow. In six short months John Winchester, currently the devoted husband and happy father of two boys, would face the trigger to his future personal quest for vengeance. As part of that quest and to suit his own needs, he would cultivate and nourish the older boys innate brotherly concerns for the younger boy. John's manipulations would develop and construct within his eldest the unwavering and fundamental belief that it was his duty to keep his brother safe, and that would become the underpinning and dominant force which would shape the future relationship between this four year old little boy called Dean, and his brand new baby brother Sam.

FIN.  
-oOo-  
Chick xxx  
Thank you so much for reading.


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